Pattern and color abstraction in a graphical user interface

• US 6,466,228 B1
• Filed: 05/25/2001
• Issued: 10/15/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Computer Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Johnston, Robert G. Jr., Ulrich, Robert R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phu K.
• Application Number:
  US09/864,163
• Time in Patent Office: 508 Days
• Field of Search: 345/333, 345/334, 345/619, 345/625, 345/419, 345/420, 707/529, 707/542
• US Class Current: 345/619
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/34 Graphical or visual programming
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A method and system are described for creating and editing a theme associated with a graphical user interface (GUI). In accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention, at least one GUI object is selected from a library of GUI objects. The theme is edited by adding the at least one GUI object to the theme. Information associated with the at least one GUI object is stored as part of the theme.

Claims

1. A method for editing a theme associated with a graphical user interface (GUI), comprising the steps of:

selecting, from a library of GUI objects, at least one GUI object;

editing the theme by adding the at least one GUI object to the theme; and

storing information associated with the at least one GUI object as part of the theme.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

creating at least one GUI object using a library of GUI object parts; and

storing information associated with the at least one created GUI object in the library of GUI objects.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

selecting the at least one GUI object, for inclusion in the theme, through an appearance control panel that is provided as part of the GUI.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the library of GUI objects includes a plurality of different representations for the same GUI object from among which a user can select using the appearance control panel.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the appearance control panel includes a panel item which, when selected by the user, stores selected GUI object representations under a theme name, whereby the user can subsequently invoke the theme name to redraw GUI objects being currently displayed on the GUI using corresponding, selected GUI object representations.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the theme is selected from a plurality of stored themes.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of editing further comprises:

modifying appearance attributes of the theme to control an appearance of the theme.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of editing further comprises:

modifying functional attributes of the theme to control at least one function of the theme.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of editing further comprises:

modifying behavioral attributes of the theme to control at least one behavior of the theme.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

previewing, while editing, the edited theme.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the stored information includes pointers to drawing procedures.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the stored information includes parametric data supplied to drawing procedures.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the stored information includes at least one data structure for use in at least one drawing procedure.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one data structure includes GUI geometry elements data.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one data structure includes GUI behavior elements data.

16. A method for creating a theme associated with a graphical user interface (GUI), comprising the steps of:

selecting, from a library of GUI objects, at least one GUI object;

arranging the at least one GUI object to create a theme; and

storing information associated with the at least one GUI object under a theme name, whereby a user can subsequently invoke the theme name to redraw GUI objects being currently displayed on the GUI using corresponding, selected GUI objects.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

creating at least one GUI object using a library of GUI object parts; and

storing information associated with the at least one created GUI object in the library of GUI objects.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of arranging further comprises:

modifying appearance attributes of the at least one GUI object to control an appearance of the theme.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of arranging further comprises:

modifying functional attributes of the at least one GUI object to control at least one function of the theme.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of arranging further comprises:

modifying behavioral attributes of the at least one GUI object to control at least one behavior of the theme.

21. A system for editing a theme a ssociated with a graphical user interface (GUI), comprising:

a memory that stores a library of GUI objects;

a processor that executes the steps of;

receiving an identification of at least one GUI object from the library of GUI objects,

associating the identification of the at least one GUI object with the theme, and

storing information associated with the at least one GUI object as part of the theme; and

a display that permits a user to view the edited theme.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the memory stores a library of GUI object parts, and wherein the processor executes the steps of:

receiving an identification of at least one GUI object part from the library of GUI object parts;

associating the identification of the at least one GUI object part with at least one created GUI object; and

storing information associated with the at least one created GUI object in the library of GUI objects.

23. The system of claim 21, further comprising:

an appearance control panel provided as part of the GUI, the appearance control panel providing user selectability of the at least one GUI object for inclusion in the theme.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the library of GUI objects includes a plurality of different representations for the same GUI object from among which a user can select using the appearance control panel.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the appearance control panel includes a panel item which, when selected by the user, stores selected GUI object representations under a theme name, whereby the user can subsequently invoke the theme name to redraw GUI objects being currently displayed on the GUI using corresponding, selected GUI object representations.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein the theme is selected from a plurality of stored themes.

27. The system of claim 21, wherein the processor executes the steps of:

receiving an indication that at least one modification to appearance attributes of the theme has been made; and

storing the at least one modification to the appearance attributes of the theme to control an appearance of the theme.

28. The system of claim 21, wherein the processor executes the steps of:

receiving an indication that at least one modification to functional attributes of the theme has been made; and

storing the at least one modification to the functional attributes of the theme to control at least one function of the theme.

29. The system of claim 21, wherein the processor executes the steps of:

receiving an indication that at least one modification to behavioral attributes of the theme has been made; and

storing the at least one modification to the behavioral attributes of the theme to control at least one behavior of the theme.

30. The system of claim 21, wherein the processor executes the steps of:

outputting data associated with the edited theme.

31. The system of claim 21, wherein the stored information includes pointers to drawing procedures.

32. The system of claim 21, wherein the stored information includes parametric data supplied to drawing procedures.

33. The system of claim 21, wherein the stored information includes at least one data structure for use in at least one drawing procedure.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the at least one data structure includes GUI geometry elements data.

35. The system of claim 33, wherein the at least one data structure includes GUI behavior elements data.

36. A system for creating a theme associated with a graphical user interface (GUI), comprising:

a memory that stores a library of GUI objects;

a processor that executes the steps of;

receiving an identification of at least one GUI object from the library of GUI objects,

associating the identification of the at least one GUI object with a created theme, and

storing information associated with the at least one GUI object under a theme name, whereby a user can subsequently invoke the theme name to redraw GUI objects being currently displayed on the GUI using corresponding, selected GUI objects; and

a display that permits the user to view the created theme.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein the memory stores a library of GUI object parts, and wherein the processor executes the steps of:

receiving an identification of at least one GUI object part from the library of GUI object parts;

associating the identification of the at least one GUI object part with at least one created GUI object; and

storing information associated with the at least one created GUI object in the library of GUI objects.

38. The system of claim 36, wherein the processor executes the steps of:

receiving an indication that at least one modification to appearance attributes of the theme has been made; and

storing the at least one modification to the appearance attributes of the at least one GUI object to control an appearance of the theme.

39. The system of claim 36, wherein the processor executes the steps of:

receiving an indication that at least one modification to functional attributes of the theme has been made; and

storing the at least one modification to the functional attributes of the at least one GUI object to control at least one function of the theme.

40. The system of claim 36, wherein the processor executes the steps of:

receiving an indication that at least one modification to behavioral attributes of the theme has been made; and

storing the at least one modification to the behavioral attributes of the at least one GUI object to control at least one behavior of the theme.

41. A computer-readable medium containing a program that performs the steps of:

receiving an identification of at least one GUI object from a library of GUI objects;

associating the identification of the at least one GUI object with a theme; and

storing information associated with the at least one GUI object as part of the theme.

42. The computer-readable medium of claim 41, further comprising the steps of:

receiving an identification of at least one GUI object part from a library of GUI object parts;

associating the identification of the at least one GUI object part with a created GUI object; and

storing information associated with the at least one created GUI object in the library of GUI objects.

43. The computer-readable medium of claim 41, wherein the theme is selected from a plurality of stored themes.

44. The computer-readable medium of claim 41, further comprising the steps of:

receiving an identification of the at least one GUI object selected by a user using an appearance control panel that is provided as part of the GUI.

45. The computer-readable medium of claim 44, wherein the library of GUI objects includes a plurality of different representations for the same GUI object from among which a user can select using the appearance control panel.

46. The computer-readable medium of claim 45, wherein the appearance control panel includes a panel item which, when selected by the user, stores selected GUI object representations under a theme name, whereby the user can subsequently invoke the theme name to redraw GUI objects being currently displayed on the GUI using corresponding, selected GUI object representations.

47. The computer-readable medium of claim 41, wherein the step of editing further comprises:

receiving an indication that at least one modification to appearance attributes of the theme has been made; and

storing the at least one modification to the appearance attributes of the theme used to control an appearance of the theme.

48. The computer-readable medium of claim 41, wherein the step of editing further comprises:

receiving an indication that at least one modification to functional attributes of the theme has been made; and

storing the at least one modification to the functional attributes of the theme used to control at least one function of the theme.

49. The computer-readable medium of claim 41, wherein the step of editing further comprises:

receiving an indication that at least one modification to behavioral attributes of the theme has been made; and

storing the at least one modification to the behavioral attributes of the theme to control at least one behavior of the theme.

50. The computer-readable medium of claim 41, further comprising the step of:

outputting data associated with the edited theme.

51. The computer-readable medium of claim 41, wherein the stored information includes pointers to drawing procedures.

52. The computer-readable medium of claim 41, wherein the stored information includes parametric data supplied to drawing procedures.

53. The computer-readable medium of claim 41, wherein the stored information includes at least one data structure for use in at least one drawing procedure.

54. The computer-readable medium of claim 53, wherein the at least one data structure includes GUI geometry elements data.

55. The computer-readable medium of claim 53, wherein the at least one data structure includes GUI behavior elements data.

56. A computer-readable medium containing a program that performs the steps of:

receiving an identification of at least one GUI object from a library of GUI objects;

associating the identification of the at least one GUI object with a created theme; and

storing information associated with the at least one GUI object under a theme name, whereby a user can subsequently invoke the theme name to redraw GUI objects being currently displayed on the GUI using corresponding, selected GUI objects.

57. The computer-readable medium of claim 56, further comprising the steps of:

receiving an identification of at least one GUI object part from a library of GUI object parts;

associating the identification of the at least one GUI object part with a created GUI object; and

storing information associated with the at least one created GUI object in the library of GUI objects.

58. The computer-readable medium of claim 56, wherein the step of associating further comprises:

receiving an indication that at least one modification to appearance attributes of the theme has been made; and

storing the at least one modification to the appearance attributes of the at least one GUI object to control an appearance of the theme.

59. The computer-readable medium of claim 56, wherein the step of associating further comprises:

receiving an indication that at least one modification to functional attributes of the theme has been made; and

storing the at least one modification to the functional attributes of the at least one GUI object to control at least one function of the theme.

60. The computer-readable medium of claim 56, wherein the step of associating further comprises:

receiving an indication that at least one modification to behavioral attributes of the theme has been made; and

storing the at least one modification to the behavioral attributes of the at least one GUI object to control at least one behavior of the theme.